Weather protective boot

ABSTRACT

A weather protective boot designed to be worn over the shoe and pants leg, providing protection to the foot and leg of the wearer. The boot may extend upwardly past the knee to the thigh area and may be flared outwardly from the knee down to prevent wrinkling of flare pants. A zippered side opening may be provided to facilitate the putting on or removal of the boot. The opening may be provided with an overlapping inner tongue and an overlapping protective seal flap.

United States Patent [191 Kimball Apr. 29, 1975 WEATHER PROTECTIVE BOOT[76] Inventor: La Nelle Kimball, 571 l Gulfton, No.

' 1, Houston, Tex. 77036 [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1974 [21] Appl No.:453,712

[52] U.S. Cl. 36/7.3

[51] Int. Cl A43b 1/10 [58] Field of Search 36/7.l, 7.3, 4, 1.5, 2 R,36/50 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,223 3/1914McNeer 36/15 1.724.413 3/1929 Rauh 36/2 R 2,504.705 4/1950 Legvillon36/73 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Torres& Berryhill [5 7] ABSTRACT A weather protective boot designed to be wornover the shoe and pants leg, providing protection to the foot and leg ofthe wearer. The boot may extend upwardly past the knee to the thigh areaand may be flared outwardly from the knee down to prevent wrinkling offlare pants A zippered side Opening may be provided to facilitate theputting on or removal of the boot. The Opening may be provided with anoverlapping inner tongue and an overlapping protective seal flap.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures WEATHER PROTECTIVE BOOT BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates tofoot and leg apparel, and more particularly, to a weather protectiveboot designed to afford foot and leg protection from the elementswithout wrinkling the clothing of the wearer.

2. Description of the Prior Art Rainboots, galoshes, and otherprotective footwear, as well as detachable boot extensions, have beenused for many years. Boots designed to fit over conventional shoes aswell as those provided with a built-in shoe are well known and arecurrently used. Some of these boots are provided with snaps, hooks, orzippers along the front or side of the boot to facilitate their use,while others are of a unitary construction with only an opening in thetop for insertion of the foot.

A problem associated with many of these boots is that they can not beworn without wrinkling the clothing underneath, especially in the caseof flared bottom pants which have recently become popular for men aswell as women. In some cases, the zippers or fasteners used to seal theboot will snag or even tear the pants leg of the wearer. In many cases,these boots have proven to be unsuccessful in protecting the foot andleg by failing to provide a water-tight seal. Small gaps or spacesbetween the fasteners allow water leakage when used in cases of intenserain or high water. With repeated use over a period of time, the zippersor fasteners might become worn or somewhat rusted and corroded and failto properly engage and seal the opening. Others, because of theirdesign, are unpleasing in appearance and are, therefore, unpopular tomany.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The boot of the present invention is designedto provide an effective means of protection to the feet and legs of thewearer when exposed to rain, snow, ice and the like. The boot consistsof a foot portion having a grip type sole and a leg portion whichextends upward past the knee to the thigh area where it is provided withan adjustable band to support the boot. A zipper or slide fastener isprovided along the inside length of the leg portion as a primary sealingmeans and as a means of putting on and removing the boot. An overlappingtongue or flap extends the entire length of the zipper on the interiorside of the boot to further protect the leg and to prevent damage to thepants leg by the zipper. The exposed side of the zipper is provided witha second cooperating seal arrangement which covers the zipper. Thesecond seal protects the zipper from damage caused by the outsideelements, prolonging the useful life of the zipper, and acts as asecondary weather barrier.

Because of the length of the zipper, the foot and leg of the individualcan easily be placed inside the boot without wrinkling the pants leg.The boot is primarily designed to fit snugly over the shoe of thewearer, although such could be worn without a shoe. After the foot ispositioned within the boot, the interior tongue is allowed to overlapthe opposite side of the opening, as the zipper is closed, therebypreventing the zipper from coming in contact with the pants leg of thewearer. The adjustable band can then be connected around the thigh tosupport the leg portion in its upright position to prevent baggingaround the ankle. The

second seal means is engaged to hide the zipper, and protect againstleakage.

Other features, advantages and objects of the invention may be morefully appreciated from the following specification and the relateddrawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation view of apreferred embodiment of the present invention showing the zipper inclosed position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 2, showing the outer sealmeans in closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1 ofthe drawing, the boot of the present invention, shown generally at 10,is illustrated. The boot includes a foot portion 11 and a leg portion 12of unitary construction, having openings in the top and side. Anyflexible, rubberized material capable of repelling water and therebyprotecting the foot and leg of the wearer may be used for itsconstruction. The boot may be transparent or colored to match theclothing of the wearer.

The leg portion 12 is flared outwardly toward the foot to form a belledshape terminating in a lip 12a connected to the foot 11 by an annularweb 12b. The flared shape not only provides extra room for insertion ofthe foot, but when in use, will prevent wrinkling of pants legs,especially in the case of flare-bottomed pants.

An interlocking zipper 13 extends upwardly along the exterior of oneside of the boot from the foot portion 11 to an adjustable band 14located near the top of the boot. The zipper may extend upwardly to aposition behind the adjustable band 14 to achieve better protection. Thezipper may be of the conventional type having a series of adjacentlypositioned interlocking teeth 13a on which is mounted a slider and tabassembly 25, (See FIG. 2), for movement thereon to effect opening andclosing of the zipper. Although a conventinal zipper is illustrated,other suitable slide fasteners may be used to seal the opening andfacilitate the putting on and removal of the boot. Located behind thezipper 13 on the interior side of the boot is an overlapping tongue 24which will be more fully described hereafter.

With the boot properly positioned on the foot of the wearer, the legportion 12 extends upwardly to an adjustable band 14 located in thethigh area of the wearer. The adjustable band 14 has a pair ofadjustment hooks 15 designed to connect with a pair of eyelets 16 andthereby support the leg portion of the boot in its upright position. Asillustrated, the adjustable band 14 can be opened to allow the removalof the boot and closed when in use by overlapping the opposite ends ofthe band and bringing the adjustment hooks 15 into mating engagementwith one of a pair of cooperating eyelets 16. Several sets of eyelets 16may be provided for adjustment purposes as well as snaps or other typesof adjustable fasteners.

An outer sealing means 17 extends slightly past the top of the zipper 13and consists of an overlapping flap 17a and a receivable groove 17b,located on the opposite side of the zipper from the flap 17a. Theoverlapping flap 17a is provided with a coextensive tongue or lip 19extending from its outer edge designed to interlock with the groove 17bwhen the two are meshed together. Other sealing means that provide acontinuous, water-proof seal on all exposed sides of the zipper may beused.

The foot portion 11 of the boot illustrated in the drawing consists of aheel 20, shank or instep 21, and sole 22 designed to fit over aconventional shoe. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sole 22 and heel 20 maybe provided, on the bottom surfaces, with protruding grips 23. The grips23 are thicker in cross-section than the leg and foot portion of theboot and are primarily designed to prevent slipping or sliding when theboot is worn in wet weather.

Referring jointly to FIGS. 2 and 3, further details of the boot of thepresent invention are shown. As can be seen in the drawings, an innertongue 24 is provided to completely overlap the zipper 13 on theinterior side of the boot and extends from the foot portion 11 upwardslightly past the top of the zipper. The inner tongue 24 further sealsthe interior of the boot and prevents the zipper 13 from snagging thepants leg of the wearer as the zipper is opened or closed.

In FIG. 2, the outer sealing means 17 is illustrated, in the openposition, as consisting of an overlapping flap 17a and a receivablegroove 17b. A coextensive lip 19 extending from the outer edge of theflap 17a is provided for meshing engagement with the groove 17b. Thezipper 13 is illustrated in the closed position with the slider and tabassembly 25 in the uppermost position and the inner tongue 24 coveringthe zipper on the interior side of the boot.

FIG. 3 illustrates the outer sealing means 17 in closed position. Asseen in the drawing, overlapping flap 17a is shown fitting in the groove17a to completely seal off the zipper. When the outer sealing means isclosed, the zipper is not subject to exposure from outside elements noris it outwardly visible.

When putting the boot on, the outer sealing means 17, zipper l3 andadjustment band 14 are in the open position (not illustrated) exposingthe interior of the boot at the top and side. After the individuals foothas been properly positioned within the boot, the zipper 13 is closedcausing the inner tongue 24 to overlap and cover the zipper 13 on theinterior side of the boot. Not only does the inner tongue seal againstpossible leakage, but it also prevents clothing from snapping on thezipper. After the zipper has been closed by movement of the slider 25 toits uppermost position, flap 17a can be folded over to cover the zipper13. Lip 19 and groove 18 are then meshed together to form a watertightseal surrounding the zipper 13. The adjustment hooks are then hookedinto a pair of eyelets 16, causing the adjustment band 14 to overlap andconceal the top portion of the outer sealing means. The boot is thencompletely sealed from the outside elements.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been describedherein, many variations may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. For example, the boot maybe'made without the flared leg illustrated. Therefore, it is intendedthat the scope of the invention be limited only by the claims whichfollow.

I claim:

1. A weather protective boot comprising a foot portion and a legportion, said leg portion being provided with an opening along one sidethereof from near said foot portion to the top of said leg portion, saidopening being provided with means for closing said opening after saidboot is properly positioned on the wearers foot, the interior of saidleg portion being provided with a tongue member overlapping said meansfor closing said opening, the exterior of said leg portion beingprovided with sea] means overlapping said means for closing said openingto the elements; said seal means including an overlapping flap attachedalong one side of said opening to said leg portion, the opposite sidethereof being provided with a lip means sealingly engageable withcorresponding receiving means along the opposite side of said opening.

2. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 1 in which said legportion extends upwardly past the knee of said wearer, the upper portionof said leg portion being provided with disengageable adjustment meansfor supporting said leg portion above said wearers knee.

3. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 1 in which said legportion of said boot flares outwardly toward said foot portion forming abell shape terminating in a lip connected to said foot portion by anannular web.

4. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 3 in which said legportion extends upwardly past the knee of said wearer, the upper portionof said leg portion being provided with disengageable adjustment meansfor supporting said leg portion above said wearers knee.

5. A weather protective boot comprising a foot portion and a legportion, said leg portion being provided with an opening along one sidethereof to allow placement of the wearers foot and leg therein, saidopening being provided with means for closing said opening, said legportion flaring outwardly toward said foot portion forming a bell shapeterminating in a lip connected to said foot portion by an annular web.

6. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 5 in which said legportion extends upwardly past the knee of said wearer and is providedwith disengageable adjustment means supporting said leg portion abovesaid wearers knee.

7. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 6 in which theexterior of said leg portion is provided with sea] means overlappingsaid means for closing said opening, preventing exposure of said meansfor closing said opening to the elements.

8. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 7 in which said meansfor closing said opening comprises a zipper assembly, said seal meanscomprising a flap member longitudinally attached along one side of saidzipper and provided with means for engaging receiving means along theopposite side of said zipper so as to overlap said zipper, preventingexposure of said zipper to the elements.

9. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 8 in which theinterior of said leg portion is provided with a tongue memberoverlapping said opening when said opening is closed to prevent contactof said zipper with said wearers leg.

1. A weather protective boot comprising a foot portion and a legportion, said leg portion being provided with an opening along one sidethereof from near said foot portion to the top of said leg portion, saidopening being provided with means for closing said opening after saidboot is properly positioned on the wearer''s foot, the interior of saidleg portion being provided with a tongue member overlapping said meansfor closing said opening, the exterior of said leg portion beingprovided with seal means overlapping said means for closing said openingto the elements; said seal means including an overlapping flap attachedalong one side of said opening to said leg portion, the opposite sidethereof being provided with a lip means sealingly engageable withcorresponding receiving means along the opposite side of said opening.2. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 1 in which said legportion extends upwardly past the knee of said wearer, the upper portionof said leg portion being provided with disengageable adjustment meansfor supporting said leg portion above said wearer''s knee.
 3. A weatherprotective boot as set forth in claim 1 in which said leg portion ofsaid boot flares outwardly toward said foot portion forming a bell shapeterminating in a lip connected to said foot portion by an annular web.4. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 3 in which said legportion extends upwardly past the knee of said wearer, the upper portionof said leg portion being provided with disengageable adjustment meansfor supporting said leg portion above said wearer''s knee.
 5. A weatherprotective boot comprising a foot portion and a leg portion, said legportion being provided with an opening along one side thereof to allowplacement of the wearer''s foot and leg therein, said opening beingprovided with means for closing said opening, said leg portion flaringoutwardly toward said foot portion forming a bell shape terminating in alip connected to said foot portion by an annular web.
 6. A weatherprotective boot as set forth in claim 5 in which said leg portionextends upwardly past the knee of said wearer and is provided withdisengageable adjustment means supporting said leg portion above saidwearer''s knee.
 7. A weather protective boot as set forth in claim 6 inwhich the exterior of said leg portion is provided with seal meansoverlapping said means for closing said opening, preventing exposure ofsaid means for closing said opening to the elements.
 8. A weatherprotective boot as set forth in claim 7 in which said means for closingsaid opening comprises a zipper assembly, said seal means comprising aflap member longitudinally attached along one side of said zipper andprovided with means for engaging receiving means along the opposite sideof said zipper so as to overlap said zipper, preventing exposure of saidzipper to the elements.
 9. A weather protective boot as set forth inclaim 8 in which the interior of said leg portion is provided with atongue member overlapping said opening when said opening is closed toprevent contact of said zipper with said wearer''s leg.